Oregon’s Plans for Running Back Dierre Hill Jr. Could Be Scary

Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer opens up on sophomore running back Dierre Hill Jr. and his explosiveness in an expanding role in the offense.

dierre hill oregon ducks football dan lanning autzen stadium big ten conference running back drew mehringer jordon davison | oregon ducks on si photographer jake bunn

EUGENE - Oregon Ducks sophomore running back Dierre Hill Jr. is the kind of "lightning" that is a nightmare for opposing Big Ten Conference defenses... and makes an offensive coordinator want to find more ways to use him.

After breaking out as a true freshman, Hill Jr. has an opportunity to cement himself among the best backs in the nation in 2026. In his first Oregon season, he led the Big Ten with 8.75 yards per carry and finished with an impressive 90.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which led the Ducks team and the conference.

Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. celebrates a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His freshman season begs the questions - just how elite can Hill Jr. be with a full offseason of getting more comfortable in the offense and without senior Noah Whittington ahead of him on the depth chart? Will Oregon coach Dan Lanning and new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer find more opportunities for the emerging star?

Drew Mehringer On Dierre Hill Jr. Role in Oregon's Offense

Mehringer is considering how the Ducks can expand Hill’s responsibilities and consistently create opportunities for him in space. Hill's explosive play style and ability to break away for long gains have grabbed Mehringer's attention.

Oregon tight ends coach Drew Mehringer works with players during practice with the Ducks Wednesday, Aug. 14 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“I think any time you get a guy that's a dynamic player, right? You just go back a year ago to this point, we really didn't even know at that time what Dierre was really gonna do,” Mehringer said. “Really, Dierre was kind of coming on midway through the season, and you see this burst down the field, and it's like, ‘Hey, we gotta do something with this guy.’”

Hill rushed for 656 yards and five touchdowns on 75 carries last season. He stepped up in big moments, such as a ranked road matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Hill recorded a career-high 10 carries in that game and rushed for 82 yards, while receiving a clutch touchdown.

“If you've got a guy that can get out in space and run and score and things like that, let's find ways to go do that and help him help us,” Mehringer said.

Hill’s speed presents an obvious strength for the Ducks and Mehringer indicated he's looking for more ways to utilize it... which is music to the ears of most Ducks fans.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, left, hands off the ball to Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Also notable, Mehringer made sure to highlight Hill’s mentality and the work he has put in alongside fellow running back Jordon Davison. The two young playmakers are expected to take on more responsibility in their sophomore seasons - they are best friends who embrace the competition.

“I think that that's growing, but I think more of that has to do with the mentality that Dierre has,” Mehringer said. “Him and Jordon Davison have been unbelievable in terms of their work ethic. And so as you grow both of their roles, to be honest, they have a lot more to learn, right? So there's going to be some more mistakes, and that's okay. They're working as hard as they can at it.”

The future looks bright for Hill, as it sounds like Mehringer is finding ways to get the football into his hands and let his speed take over. He made it clear that his work ethic is the trait that could change everything for Hill Jr. this season.

The mentality and maturity of Hill is on display in his recent comments about what feels different about the Ducks in 2026.

"What excites me the most is just the energetic feel we have. You can just feel it when you're out there with the guys. We all have an edge on our shoulder. Obviously we didn't like how our season ended last year, so we're all hungry, and the guys that came in now, they understand that as well, and the young guys who are hungry as well, and you can see it," Hill said.

Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It just makes us all even more eager and just want to go out there and play ball and go 110 percent you know, for the guy right next to us. So it's, it's really, it's really scary, I should say really scary," Hill continued.

Hill's first chance at showing how "scary" he can be comes on Sept. 5 in the Ducks first game vs. the Boise State Broncos in Autzen Stadium.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.